The present invention relates to a device for mounting on a circuit board. In particular, the invention is directed to a device having a plurality of electrical terminal members to be soldered to the circuit board, and a shielding means enclosing at least the electrical terminal members.
Electrical components, such as electrical connectors, for mounting on a circuit board are well known in the industry. These types of connectors have contact elements provided therein for connecting the electrical connector with another electrical connector. A housing surrounds the electrical contact elements, and electrical terminal members extend out of the housing. The electrical terminal members are soldered to the electrical connector to a circuit board LP. Shielding means are generally provided and enclose the housing and the electrical terminal members.
In order to reduce degradation of signals transmitted across terminals, the use of shielding on electrical connectors has become more common. The shielding means usually consists of metal or metal-containing material, which encloses the component portions to be shielded to prevent or restrict electromagnetic radiation from radiating into the electrical connector. The shielding also prevents or restricts the emission of electromagnetic radiation from the connector.
In order to be able to simply and rapidly mount such shielded components on circuit boards, the shielding means arc integrally attached to the component, i.e. the shielding means is fixedly connected to the housing or other constituent parts of the particular component. However, it is important in many applications that the shielding means ends as exactly as possible with the circuit board surface when the component is mounted on the circuit board. If there is a gap between the circuit board and the shielding means, the shielding effect is deteriorated. If, in contrast thereto, the shielding means projects downwardly too much, the component can no longer be properly placed on the circuit board and/or proper soldering of the electrical terminal members to the circuit board is made difficult or rendered completely impossible. This is particularly true if the component concerned is a surface-mountable component (SMT component). In instances in which the shielding means, even in part, projects downwardly too far, the electrical terminal members of this component cannot be properly soldered to the circuit board, thereby preventing the component from consistently performing its function.
Manufacture, assembly, and/or handling of the components provided with shielding means thus require a high degree of precision. Understandably, this is a considerable disadvantage and can greatly increase the cost associated therewith. It is thus the object of the present invention to provide a component in which the shielding means will not impair the mounting of the component concerned on the circuit board and which will provide adequate shielding for the component.
An object of the invention is to provide an electrical connector in which the shielding means and the electrical terminal members are movable relative to each other. It is a further object of the invention to ensure, under all circumstances, that the shielding means is not in the way of proper mounting of the component on the circuit board while providing the optimum shielding effect under the circumstances given. A component designed in this manner can be mounted quickly, safely, and reliably on the circuit board, thereby ensuring the electrical connector will be properly shielded.